Chicago Bears: 3 overlooked players to watch against Bengals

Nose Tackle John Jenkins

For whatever reason, John Jenkins is a guy not talked about too often. Yet, when he’s on the field, he is typically good for one major impact play. Whether it’s a quarterback pressure or catching a running back before he passes the line of scrimmage, Jenkins is a more than capable player at the nose tackle position.

The Bears chose to bring Jenkins back this offseason, and I firmly believe that was a good decision. Depth was an issue behind starter Eddie Goldman if Jenkins was allowed to leave.

The 29-year-old is listed at 6-foot-3, 327 pounds per NFL.com and brings some tenacity to the trenches. Thus far in camp, Jenkins has been a guy who hasn’t been talked about much but looks like he’s in great shape.

Jenkins has blown up his man on several occasions, whether it be in individual or team sessions. He’s been more noticeable in individual drills, from the practices I’ve witnessed, but the defense has so much talent as a whole that it’s understandable.

My hope is for Jenkins to continue to have a strong camp and preseason, and that Vic Fangio decides to use him more than originally planned. More often now, you see defensive lines shuffling throughout the game in order to keep guys fresh. Between Jenkins and Goldman, the Bears have a highly underrated nose tackle position.